Panel upholds Newark man's sex-sting conviction

The Record

A jury had enough evidence to convict Nigerian native Abel Oderanti of attempted sexual assault as part of an Internet sex sting conducted by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, an appellate panel ruled Thursday.

Oderanti of Newark was arrested in 2008 in the parking lot of a store on Route 46 in Woodland Park, where he had arranged to meet a detective posing as a 12-year-old girl. Though Oderanti had two condoms on him when he was arrested, and police say he admitted to wanting to have sex with the girl, Oderanti said he thought she was an older woman.

He was convicted in 2010 of attempted sexual assault, luring a child and attempted child endangerment and sentenced to three years in jail.

A three-judge panel upheld the conviction, ruling there was sufficient evidence to convict Oderanti and rejecting an argument that police had entrapped him. They also said a trial judge wasn’t required to declare a mistrial after a juror admitted having performed outside research on the case, which violates court rules.

Panel upholds Newark man's sex-sting conviction

The Record

A jury had enough evidence to convict Nigerian native Abel Oderanti of attempted sexual assault as part of an Internet sex sting conducted by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, an appellate panel ruled Thursday.

Oderanti of Newark was arrested in 2008 in the parking lot of a store on Route 46 in Woodland Park, where he had arranged to meet a detective posing as a 12-year-old girl. Though Oderanti had two condoms on him when he was arrested, and police say he admitted to wanting to have sex with the girl, Oderanti said he thought she was an older woman.

He was convicted in 2010 of attempted sexual assault, luring a child and attempted child endangerment and sentenced to three years in jail.

A three-judge panel upheld the conviction, ruling there was sufficient evidence to convict Oderanti and rejecting an argument that police had entrapped him. They also said a trial judge wasn’t required to declare a mistrial after a juror admitted having performed outside research on the case, which violates court rules.